Thalia Lysen (2014)
During my stay at the NIT, I was working on my MA thesis, which was about the similarities between burial rituals described in the Homeric epics and those found in Hittite texts describing rituals performed after a Hittite king or queen died.
At the NIT, I found both an interdisciplinary library directed at Anatolia, which was much needed for my research, and the best quiet and inspiring environment one could wish for when doing research. Because of staying at the NIT my interests in this specific region have grown immensely and I was able to build a network of people who are likewise interested in Anatolia. Moreover, I believe that my stay has contributed to acquiring a PhD-position at the University of Chicago (Anatolian Languages and Civilizations).
I will be starting a PhD in Hittite and related Anatolian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago (Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations) in September.